See also: Mineral

A mineral is a substance normally inorganic, more rarely organic, formed naturally or synthesized artificially, defined by its Chemical composition and the fitting of its Atome S according to a periodicity and a precise Symétrie which are reflected in the Groupe of space and in the crystalline Système of mineral.

The minerals are generally solid S in the Normal conditions of temperature and of pressure (TPN) and join to form the Roche S constituting the Earth's crust and, in a more general way, the Lithosphère.

Characteristics

Thus, a mineral is characterized by its physicochemical properties and its chemical formula, this one being able to vary ( cf Minéralogie). In each type of site, several atoms can be replaced by giving place to isomorphous substitutions. It is the case, for example, of the Fer and of the Magnésium in the Olivine or of the Sodium and the Calcium in the Plagioclase S. the composition of a Minéral then often is included/understood between extremes more or less moved away, any intermediate compound belonging to the series. For example, all Mica whose composition lies between that of the Phlogopite and that of the Annite is a Biotite.

The allowed variations in the composition make that the mineralogist regards readily minerals as mineral species , being characterized certainly by its physical properties - more “visible” being the Symétrie, the Couleur, the hardness, the glare, the trace and the Index of refraction - and chemical, but not being able to merge with the elements or chemical compounds of the chemist.

Families

There exists more than 4000 known minerals, which are classified mainly according to chemical and crystallographic criteria. Their chemical composition makes it possible to group them in nine principal families (classification of Strunz, 9th edition, 2001):

1. native Elements, composed of only one chemical element more or less pure, like the Carbon, the Sulfur, the Gold, the Copper, the Platinum;

2. Sulfide S (S^2-), including/understanding the Sulpho-salt S;
3. Oxide S (O^2-) and Hydroxide S (OH^-), like the Magnetite, the Corundum or the Rutile;
4. Haloid S, like the Chloride S (Cl^-), the Fluoride S (F^-);
5. Carbonate S (CO₃) ^2- and Nitrate S (NO₃) ^-;
6. Borate S (BO₃) ^3-;
7. Sulfate S (SO₄) ^2-, Chromate S (CrO₄) ^2-, Molybdate S (MO₄) ^2-, Tungstate S (WO₄) ^3-;
8. Phosphate S (PO₄) ^3-, Arsenate S (AsO₄) ^3-, Vanadate S (VO₄) ^3-;
9. Silicate S (SiO_x);
10. Mineral organics.

More

related articles

• Classification of the minerals
• Glossary of the minerals
• List of the minerals
• Mineralogy
• Crystallography
• Petrography
• Rock

Bond external

• New minerals discovered in France since 40 years;
• New minerals discovered by members of the French Association of micromineralogy;
• Method of identification of minerals.

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